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Authors: Martin van Creveld

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34
On the most important tests see R. Gal,
A Portrait of the Israeli Soldier
(Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1986), p. 76 ff.
35
Figures on strength in T. Segev,
Ha-yisraelim Ha-rishonim
[The First Israelis] (Jerusalem: Domino, 1984), p. 251.
36
On the kind of cohesion that develops inside Israeli reserve units see M. Bar On, “Ruach Ha-lechima Be-maarechet Kadesh” [Fighting Power During the Suez Campaign],
Maarachot
140 (1962): 8; and, at much greater length, E. Ben Ari, “Mastering Soldiers: Conflict, Emotions, and the Enemy in an Israeli Military Unit,” unpublished study, the Harry S. Truam Institute, the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 1996, particularly chaps. 4-8.
37
E. Shor, ed.,
Derech Ha-mitla
[By Way of the Mitla] (Ramat Gan: Massada, 1967), p. 78.
38
In 1991, e.g., Israel had 0.18 motor vehicles and 0.45 telephones per member of the population; the corresponding Arab figures were 0.02 and 0.25 (Egypt), 0.066 and 0.21 (Jordan), and 0.019 and 0.22 (Syria). Figures calculated from
Britannica Book of the Year
(Chicago: Encylopaedia Britannica, 1993), pp. 633, 600, 640, 724.
39
On the U.S. system for selecting officer-candidates as it originally developed see S. E. Ambrose,
Duty, Honor, Country: A History of West Point
(Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1966), p. 18 ff.
40
For a detailed discussion of the way these things were and, to a large extent, still are being done see Gal,
A Portrait of the Israeli Soldier
, p. 115 ff.
41
In 1955, e.g., 500 out of 4,300 had not even achieved a high school diploma; of university studies there could be scarcely any question. Moshe Dayan,
Avnei Derech
(Tel Aviv: Dvir, 1976), p. 147.
42
Cf. S. Teveth,
Moshe Dayan: The Soldier, the Man, the Legend
(London: Quartet, 1972), pp. 257-258, for the origins of this system.
43
For a professional breakdown of retired officers as of 1966 cf. A. Perlmutter,
Military and Politics in Israel
(London: Cass, 1969), p. 76, table 8.
44
Y. Allon,
The Making of Israel’s Army
(London: Sphere Books, 1971), p. 256.
45
Cf. G. J. DeGroot, “Whose Finger on the Trigger? Mixed Anti-Aircraft Batteries and the Female Combat Taboo,” in
War in History
4:4 (November 1997): 434-453; and A. Noggle,
Dance with Death: Soviet Airwomen in World War II
(College Station: Texas University Press, 1994).
46
I. Jerby,
Ha-mechir Ha-kaful: Maamad Ha-isha Ba-chevra Ha-yisraelit Ve-sherut Ha-nashim Be-TSAHAL
[The Double Price: Women’s Status and Military Service in Israel] (Tel Aviv: Ramot, 1996), p. 66.
47
Ratner,
Chayai Ve-ani
, p. 259.
48
The most detailed figures are in PALMACH Hq., memo of February 1, 1948, PALMACH Archive, file H.109, No. 5; also D. Ben Gurion to H. Tsadok, April 26, 1948, Galili Archive, box 2, file C.
49
Cf. Allon lecture on the subject, 1945, quoted in A. Kadish,
La-meshek Ve-la-neshek
[To Farms and Arms] (Tel Aviv: Tag, 1995), p. 121.
50
Cf. the description of one such operation in U. Narkis,
Chayal shel Yerushalayim
[A Soldier for Jerusalem] (Tel Aviv: Ministry of Defense, 1991), p. 57 ff.
51
N. Ben Yehuda,
Ke-she-partsa Ha-medina
[When the State Broke Out] (Jerusalem: Keter, 1991), p. 1; Kadish,
La-meshek Ve-la-neshek
, p. 234.
52
E.g., one company of Harel Brigade is known to have had three women among 140 men; U. Ben Ari,
Acharai
[Follow Me] (Tel Aviv: Maariv, 1994), p. 169 ff.
53
H. Avigdori-Avidav,
Ba-derech She-halachnu: Mi-yomana shel Melavat Shayarot
[The Road We Took: From the Diary of a Convoy-Escort] (Tel Aviv: Ministry of Defense, 1988); Narkis,
Chayal shel Yerushalayim
, p. 78.
54
Figure from L. Tiger and J. Shepher,
Women in the Kibbutz
(Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin, 1975), p. 185. Here it should be added that in PALMACH as a whole women formed up to 20 percent of strength.
55
Kadish,
La-meshek Ve-la-neshek
, p. 238 ff.
56
The major categories were 3,200 secretaries and clerks, 1,360 cleaning ladies (the second largest category), 1,220 doctors and nurses, 730 communicators, 600 food-service workers, 600 telephone operators, and 480 commanders and instructors. Z. Ostfeld,
Tsava Nolad: Shlavim Ikariyim Bi-bniyat Ha-tsava Be-hanhagato shel Ben Gurion
[An Army Is Born: Main Stages in the Buildup of the Army Under the Leadership of Ben Gurion] (Tel Aviv: Ministry of Defense, 1993), vol. 2, p. 819.
57
Women’s Corps memoranda, January 31, 1949, February 11, 1949, quoted in Ostfeld,
Tsava Nolad
, vol. 1, pp. 444-445.
58
Ben Gurion,
Yichud Ve-yeud
, p. 79.
59
Ostfeld,
Tsava Nolad
, vol. 1, p. 442 ff
.
On the British origins of CHEN see also A. R. Bloom, “Women in the Defense Forces,” in B. Swirski and M. P. Safir, eds.,
Calling the Equality Bluff: Women in Israel
(New York: Pergamon Press, 1991), p. 134.
60
Avigdori-Avidav,
Ba-derech She-halachnu
, p. 154 ff.
61
Cf. Kadish,
La-meshek Ve-la-neshek
, p. 285.
62
Term used by CHEN commander, Col. Stella Levy, quoted in J. Larteguy,
The Walls of Israel
(New York: Evans, 1969), p. 195.
63
Jerby,
Ha-mechir Ha-kaful
, p. 139.
64
Gal,
A Portrait of the Israeli Soldier
, p. 49.
65
Israel Women’s Lobby, “Nahsim Ve-sherut Be-TSAHAL: Metsiut, Ratson Ve-chazon” [Women in the IDF: Reality, Will, and Vision] (Tel Aviv University: mimeographed, 1995), p. 41.
66
The attempt to train female divers was made in 1974. A. Peled, “Lochamot Hashayetet” [The Naval Commando’s She-Fighters],
Yediot Acharonot
weekend magazine, April 26, 1994, pp. 6-13.
67
On the eve of Independence Day 1997, a third woman was promoted to brigadier general as a “special gesture.”
Maariv
, May 8, 1997, p. 5.
68
Prime Minister’s Office,
DOCH al Matsav Ha-isha
[Report on the Status of Women] (Jerusalem: Government Printer, 1978), pp. 8-10.
69
Cf. A. Shapira, “Labour Zionism and the October Revolution,”
Journal of Contemporary History
24 (1989): 623-656.
70
For example, see C. von Der Goltz,
The Nation in Arms
(London: Allen, 1887 [originally published 1883]), perhaps the most thorough discussion of the system ever
.
71
Cf. M. van Creveld,
Fighting Power: German and U.S. Army Performance, 1939-1945
(Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1982), chap. 3.
72
Cf. A. Oz, “Derech Haruach” [By the Wind], in Oz,
Artsot Ha-tan
[The Lands of the Jackal] (Tel Aviv: Am Oved, 1965), pp. 41-59.
73
The unseemly proceedings are described in Segev,
Ha-yisraelim Ha-rishonim
, pp. 244-245.
74
Herzl Rosenblum in
Yediot Acharonot
, August 16, 1949, p. 2.
75
Cf. M. Azaryahu,
Pulchanei Medina: Chagigot Ha-atsmaut Ve-hantshachat Ha-noflim, 1948-1956
[State Cults: Independence Day Festivities and Commemorating the Dead, 1948-1956] (Sde Boker: Ben Gurion University, 1995), p. 115.
76
O. Almog,
Ha-tsabar—Djokan
[Portrait of the Sabra] (Tel Aviv: Am Oved, 1997), pp. 365-366.
77
A. Dankner,
Dan Ben Amots, Biographia
[Dan Ben Amots—a Biography] (Jerusalem: Keter, 1992), p. 165.
78
Ben Gurion,
Yichud Ve-yeud
, pp. 182-183.
79
D. Ben Gurion, “Le-baayot ha-bitachon” [Re. Defense Problems], lecture held on January 5, 1955, in Ben Gurion,
Yichud Ve-yeud,
p. 205 ff.; also Z. Tsachor, “Ben Gurion Kimeatsev Mitos” [Ben Gurion as Mythmaker], in D. Ochana and R. Wistrich, eds.,
Mitos Ve-zikaron
[Myth and Memory] (Tel Aviv: Ha-kibbuts Ha-meuchad, 1996), p. 150; also S. I. Troen, “The Sinai Campaign as a ‘War of No Alternative’: Ben Gurion’s View of the Israel-Egyptian Conflict,” in S. I. Troen and M. Shemesh, eds.,
The Suez-Sinai Crisis 1956, Retroperspective and Reappraisal
(London: Cass, 1990), pp. 180-195.
CHAPTER 9
 
1
By far the best account is B. Morris,
Milchamot Ha-gevul shel Yisrael, 1949-1956
[Israel’s Border Wars, 1949-1956] (Tel Aviv: Ofakim, 1996), chap. 2.
2
Figures on the extent of infiltration in ibid., p. 154 ff.
3
Ibid., pp. 443, 445.
4
For some figures see ibid., chap. 4.
5
Ben Gurion, “Nochach Ha-metach Ba-gevulot” [Vis-à-vis the Tension Along the Borders], Knesset speech, January 2, 1956, in D. Ben Gurion,
Yichud Ve-yeud: Devarim al Bitchon Yisrael
[A Unique Destiny: Notes on Israeli Defense] (Tel Aviv: Maarachot, 1971), p. 235.
6
Ben Gurion, Yoman (unpublished diary), Ben Gurion Archive, September 21 and November 14, 1949.
7
Dayan talk to MAPAI leaders, June 18, 1950, MAPAI (Labor Party) Archive.
8
Dayan according to Moshe Sharet circular, October 26, 1954, quoted in M. Sharet,
Yoman Ishi
[A Personal Diary] (Tel Aviv: Maariv, 1978), No. 22, p. 595.
9
Morris,
Milchamot Ha-gvul shel Yisrael
(Tel Aviv: Am Oved, 1996)
,
p. 208 ff.
10
M. Bar Kochva,
Merkevot Ha-plada
[Steel Chariots] (Tel Aviv: Maarachot, 1989), pp. 105-111.
11
Unsigned IDF memo, “Infiltration to Israel, 1952,” undated but apparently written early in 1953, Foreign Ministry Papers, State Archive, Jerusalem, file 2428 A.
12
Record of Meeting in the Foreign Minister’s Office, February 2, 1953, ibid., No. 4373/15.
13
M. Bar Zohar and Ch. Haber,
Sefer Ha-tsanchanim
[The Book of the Paratroopers] (Tel Aviv: Levin-Epstein, 1969), p. 60.
14
U. Beeri to Y. Ben Aharon, June 4, 1953, Ha-shomer Ha-tsair Archive, file K 90-4/5.
15
Listed in Chief of Staff’s Office, “Report on Operational Activity Since 1953,” July 1954, TSAHAL Archive, file 13/636/1956.
16
Quoted in S. Teveth,
Moshe Dayan: The Soldier, the Man, the Legend
(London: Quartet, 1972), p. 239
.
17
For his early years cf. U. Benziman,
Sharon: Lo Otser Be-adom
[Sharon: Does Not Stop at the Red Light] (Tel Aviv: Adam, 1985), p. 13 ff.
18
Quoted in Teveth,
Moshe Dayan
, p. 244.
19
There is a Jordanian report on the incident in Jordanian Foreign Ministry to British Foreign Ministry, undated (late October 1953?), Public Record Office (PRO), FO/816/193.
20
M. Dayan,
Avnei Derech
[Memoirs] (Tel Aviv: Dvir, 1976), p. 115.
21
M. Sharet, “Yisrael Ve-arav—Milchama Ve-shalom” [Israel and the Arabs—War and Peace],
Ot
(September 1966), published version of an October 1957 lecture.
22
Eliav report, “Retaliation Along the Borders,” Foreign Ministry Papers, State Archive, No. 2448/15.
23
Brigadier General Gibli (Intelligence) to M. Dayan, June 20, 1954, TSAHAL Archive, file 13/656/1956.
24
Cf. E. N. Luttwak and D. Horowitz,
The Israeli Army
(London: Allen Lane, 1975), pp. 113-116.
25
Chief of Staff’s Office, “Report on Operational Activity Since 1953,” July 1954, TSAHAL Archive, file 16/636/1956.
26
From Morris,
Milchamot Ha-gevul shel Ysrael
, p. 327 ff.
27
Ibid., p. 361.
28
A. Sharon,
Warrior
(New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989), p. 98.
29
Dayan,
Avnei Derech
, p. 147, note for July 3, 1955.
30
M. Har Tsion,
Pirke Yoman
[Chapters in a Diary] (Tel Aviv: Levin-Epstein, n.d.), pp. 162, 164.
31
A. Sharon,
Warrior
, pp. 133-134.

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